


No Holds Barred

by Desteros



Category: Marvel, Young Avengers
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-18 10:56:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5925910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desteros/pseuds/Desteros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy and Billy have known each other for quite some time, mostly through mutual friends, but through a strange turn of events, Teddy generates feelings for Billy. Yet his ways of expressing them are next to none. What exactly is a boy to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Almost a Broken Leg

Teddy did not exactly appreciate falling down the stairs on top of a guy he didn't know too well into the cellar.

His friends were celebrating his seventeenth birthday at Kate Bishop's extensive home, and things had gotten out of hand by a normal teens standard.

Except, by his friends' standards, the party was just about in the Goldilocks zone.

In short, most of Teddy's friends and friends of friends were at Kate's house. Specifically, the group of teenagers were partying in the basement. It was a furnished, decadent, and spacious room, with more rooms than one might normally expect. That one being Teddy.

There were TWO bathrooms in it!

Everyone appeared to be having a good time, but the beer was clouding his mind. He briefly saw Cassie Lang headbanging a little too close to one of the speaker's blaring a song by Nickleback. Again, he couldn't really focus when alcohol was sloshing through his system. Teddy was a self aware drunk, at the very least.

March 10th had been especially cold, so he and his friends were thankful for the alcohol. He had just been snickering to Kate, "Gee, drinking is so cool. We are just THE prime examples of human maturity," right before his tumble.

He didn't even remember why he was heading down the stairs. Kate and Cassie's friend, Billy, wanted something from in the cellar. Not the basement, where most of them were, the deepest layer of the mansion. Perhaps the guy wanted to just take a breath or maybe he was getting another keg with him, since that's where the Bishops put their beer (according to Kate herself.)

That was it. The keg. He remembered it, because he was wondering why Billy didn't drink and whether or not that was some sort of Jewish thing or not.

Through his drunken stupor, his foot hadn't connected firmly to the step and down he went, flattening the smaller guy on the perious, yet short, descent.

As his memories began to catch up with him, Teddy began to realize that he was blacked out, probably from the fall. The only other time he experienced a knock-out was when he was nine and playing soccer a little too recklessly; one of the opposing team members accidentally punted a ball right into his gut and he had the wind ripped out of him.

Similar to that experience, his mind's eye went murky. His real eyes couldn't see anything. Slowly, a tiny light filtered through as reality crept back into his body like flowers blossoming back into spring.

Except, damn, reality hurt.

"...shit, shit, shit!"

Teddy could finally make out the figure of Billy pacing in front of him.

"Oh... jeez, sorry man," he murmured. Billy flipped his head down. Wow, in the dark he looks so handsome, Teddy noted as the details around the room sharpened into normal view. "Yeah, dude, you should be!" shreiked Billy and then he half-laughed. "How did you fall on top of me, yet you are the one with a broken leg?" the boy's hands gestured to Teddy's leg.

Teddy's eyes sunk down. He was propped up against the wall and then noticed his left leg was bent at a strange angle. But it wasn't broken. Amidst the surprise and well, party in his mind, Teddy full-on cackled.

"Oh my... did your head get hurt, too?" Billy asked, genuine concern warbling through the cellar. 

Wiping a tear out of his eye, he replied, "No, my leg isn't broken... do you not know what a broken leg looks like?"

"I was never much of someone for sports."

"Could you help me up?"

Billy squinted, the glare of daggers radiating into Teddy's amused spirit. Teddy only glanced up to the doorway for a second before the other boy offered his hand with a firm grasp; through, he struggled to pull him up.

Stumbling, he managed to get some footing as he was pulled off the ground. Billy looked Teddy up and down, seemingly satisfied that Teddy was alright. The bright light from the doorway brightened half his face. He was much more handsome in the light.

"Can we say screw it to the beer, I think you've had your fill."

"Aw come on, Mom."

"Happy Birthday," Billy said with a shaky smile. It was the type of smile that either came from a true heart or just someone with poor skill for acting. Inside, Teddy could feel it was from a place of care rather than something fake. Teddy flashed a sturdy grin back and thanked him.

Billy left with soft creaks slipping out from the wooden steps as he got back up into the basement. He felt a little upset he did not stay a few moments longer.

Between the folds of his brain, the thoughts quickly were put to the side. It was a party. HIS party. Teddy decided to be a little selfish for the rest of the night.


	2. Happy Gayest Birthday

It didn't surprise Teddy the party was still going on without him.

His leg still hurt, despite it being clear it was not broken, so that deterred him from having the time of his life. Many of his friends were coming up to him, giving him well-wishes and the like, but he felt lost in the sea of familiar friends.

"Hey, Teddy, there you are!" Kate's voice echoed through the people surrounding Teddy.

He turned his head and could see her pushing through strumbling people. Her tight red skirt had a mustard stain on it. Quickly, she got up to a normal distance for conversation and adjusted her glasses after being slapped in the face by one of the partygoers as she was approaching Teddy.

"You went to get more beer and then you disappeared," she laughed, "What happened?"

"Long story. I just think I have had enough for today," he voice trailed off, thinking back to moments before and Billy's face illuminated in the cellar.

She blinked for a second and her face moved closer towards him. Kate then asked, "Is something wrong? You seem kind of... I don't know, out of it?"

Teddy shook his head and blushed. He was surprised Billy hadn't relayed the tale on what happened, even if wasn't the greatest of stories. Out of most of his friends, Billy was closest with Kate. Teddy pretty much got all the information on Billy from Kate, which still wasn't much. Kate only tried to hook them up once, but Teddy declined as finals were approaching at that time. Now, he didn't want to really mention he had a fly-by crush on one of her other best friends, especially one he had previously declined.

"Alright," she chuckled with a airy tone to her voice then changed the subject. "How are you enjoying being seventeen?"

"It's fine, I guess. I haven't been able to really set myself into it yet."

Kate Bishop shrugged and offered, "Well, seventeen is not much different from sixteen. Though, I remember my party was much bigger than this."

Teddy laughed, thinking back to her party back in October. Kate's dad, who was boatloads of rich, hired a full circus act to perform in the backyard of the same house they were in now.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly after taking a sip from her crimson-colored cup, "Do you want your cake, Tommy brought it when you were out."

Tommy was Billy's brother, according to Kate. Perhaps that was how she and the boy were close, since Kate was dating his brother. It came to Teddy just then that she and Tommy had been dating since right around Kate's party. 

He was much more acquainted with Tommy rather than Billy, considering Kate and him were extremely close. He and Kate's boyfriend got along well; both of them were the athletic types amongst their group of friends. In fact, Teddy might have been Tommy's closest friend and vice versa.

However, Tommy was into track and field while Teddy was more of a football player, despite his childhood dreams of being a soccer star. He was a little big for that, so in his first year of high school he settled for football. Teddy, probably being the most nonchalant about his sexuality enjoyed jesting about how he was "tight end" on the team. Usually, that sparked up a good laugh amongst other students.

Teddy returned back to the real world and permitted the cake to be brought out. "What flavor is it?"

"I don't know," she replied, "Tommy probably just settled for vanilla, you know how he is with effort outside of track."

"I do indeed, lady Kate."

"I'm going to go bring it out with him," she muttered, stifling a giggle at the comment of Lady Kate. Teddy could tell she thought she was hiding it well, but he always knew when she was laughing.

His mind was out of focus for the next ten minutes. More salutations and, "Hey man, happy birthday!"'s from the guests, but his mind was elsewhere. Despite promising himself on having a good party and enjoying it, he couldn't shake the thought of Billy.

He was determined to talk to him again.

Teddy spotted him texting someone on his phone, as we leaned against a wall while waiting in line for the bathroom. The walls around the entire basement were a simple pewter color and smooth the touch, which Teddy only knew considering his many times falling while under the influence earlier through the party.

Only a few steps forward and he was interrupted.

"Hey, Tedd-O!" blared out from the speakers. Tommy was calling for him. "Come on over here, it's time for cake."

He paused, glancing at Billy who shared a look with him. The boy seemed puzzled. Then he through eyesight to the left, where Tommy and the cake were waiting.

"Uh-" Teddy stammered but left to go where the rest of the drunken partygoers were heading after the mention of cake.

Thankfully, his mind was much more clear than the rest of the teenagers who were stumbling through, so Teddy managed to walk right through them. The music was turned down as Teddy approached and the was a metal rectangular dish the size of a small kitchenette in front of the DJ's table. Tommy was standing in front with a grin with Kate to the side, a look of uncertain amusement worn on her face.

How am I not even remotely attracted to him? Teddy asked himself. Tommy and Billy were TWINS, they looked exactly alike apart from Tommy's platinum blonde hair to Billy's black. Teddy was sure that was not was differenciated the two of them in terms of attractiveness for him. He'd at least seen them multiple times... and yet, now, Teddy was getting a crush on Tommy's brother.

Tommy put his mouth up to the electronic microphone. "Alright, everyone. Teddy here is officially seventeen! So as one his, um..." he muttered trying to think of the proper term for he and Teddy's relationship.

"Closest friends," Teddy offered.

The twin made eye-contact with him and nodded as he exclaimed, "Closest friends!"

"I personally have gotten this cake made for him!" Tommy continued.

He turned to Kate. She flinched, waking up from a quick trip to La-La-Land. Then, with a sheepish grin, she threw off the dish, clattering against the far wall.

Teddy laughed a little too hard. The cake said, "Happy Gayest Birthday!!!" with cartoony smile emoticons and wide-eye faces on in all in purple piping on top of the white frosting. There was a crudely drawn dick in green icing on the bottom right corner, obviously put there personally by Tommy. Between laughs, Teddy chuckled a "Fuck off!" from Tommy, who hugged him from the side.

"What? Is something the matter?" he said devilishly, "I got you vanilla, your favorite!"

"Of course you did," Teddy replied, still recovering from the reveal.

Kate approached her boyfriend as she set a hand on his shoulder. She offered a look of pity to Teddy. "Sorry about that, I begged Tommy to get a new one but he wouldn't budge."

Teddy shook his head, finally surpressing his amusement. "Are you kidding me? You and I both know Tommy pretty well. I, for one, am disappointed there weren't MORE dicks on it!"

The other boy shrugged, giving off a 'You got me' look. His girlfriend flipped her hair over her shoulder and said, "So you want me to cut the cake?"

"Hell yeah, I'm starving!" Tommy agreed.

Teddy approved, "Of course Kate. I can't just let Tommy's hard work go to waste, now can I?"


	3. Establishing Differences

The party began to subside around 1:30 in the morning, leaving only some of Teddy's closest friends.

As Teddy was moving the speaker's into one of the many closests in Kate's basement, Billy approached. Teddy tried his might not the blush, yet he still felt his ears go hot.

"Hey, uh, Teddy..." he began, "Sorry about my brother, he can be kind of a dick."

"No pun intended," Teddy cracked.

The boy shook his head defiantly. "No, I mean it. I don't think he gets the whole 'gay thing.'" Billy crossed his arms as he spoke, and his face went cross.

Teddy frowned. Apparently, he thought, Billy thinks I'm offended by the whole cake thing.

Billy continued, "I got that you were saving face and not trying to make a stink, but if I were in your place, I'd totally deck him."

"Billy, what the hell?"

"What?"

"Dude, I wasn't offended by it. Why would I be upset at Tommy? Shit."

His face turned from cross to flabbergasted. Then, his eyes squinted and he said, "He was making a joke out of being gay... aren't we-"

"WE don't need to do anything!" Teddy said as he began to walk over to the closet, speaker in both hands. His feelings for Billy were disregarded in that moment, yet even after, Teddy felt he was saying the right thing. He walked back to get the other speaker, Billy's brow was lowered and a crooked finger to his lips.

After Teddy shut the closet door when he placed the other speaker on top of the first, the boy spoke up again. "I guess you're right... maybe I just take it a little more seriously than you do."

"Quite the opposite from your brother," Teddy laughed. "I'm not SUPPOSED to feel any sort of way just as you aren't, either."

"Mhm."

Teddy and Billy shared an awkward stare with each other. Teddy then became even more uncomfortable after his moment of 'teaching,' so he just left him to his own devices.

On the other side of the basement, in the largest room where Tommy revealed Teddy's birthday cake, he found Kate talking to another one his friends while they were wrapping the cake in ceram wrap.

"Oh! America!"

The girl looked up. The poor lighting in the room made her brown skin seem darker than usual which contrasted from the confident smile on her face. She waved at Teddy as he strutted over then exclaimed, "Sorry we didn't really see each other during the party."

Teddy just smiled and gave her a hug. "I'm just glad I got to see you before you left!" he said, over her shoulder. She smelled slightly of beer.

"Yeah, America and I were just wrapping up the leftovers. I hadn't even known you guys didn't see each other all night," remarked Kate. Unlike Kate, Teddy and America had known each other for years. Kate and Teddy met the beginning of the first semester of sophomore year. America and Teddy met the summer between elementary school and middle school, when she accidentally tossed a soccer ball too hard and pegged him right in the jaw!

He let go of their embrace. "Yeah... you did get some of the cake, right?" he asked America.

"Of course, Teddy," she said with a slow roll of her eyes, "You don't have to worry about me."

"It's cake. Everyone deserves cake."

America let loose a half-smile and finished wrapping up the pieces of cake. She turned to Kate and asked, "You are keeping these, right?"

The other girl pushed her glasses up as she got up from leaning over the pieces of cake and nodded vigorously, "We both know Teddy has no room for all this cake." She turned to him swiftly, "You are taking some home for your mom, though, right?"

"Of course I am," confirmed Teddy.

"Good, I was hoping you weren't going to lazy like Tommy and not bring any home, especially since it's barely a ten minute walk," Kate sniffed and handed him two wrapped plates, each with cake on them. One had 'est' on it and the other was just one of the pieces of the side of the cake, both made his stomach crave more cake. He graciously took them from his friend.

Teddy chuckled and said, "Tommy and I aren't that alike."

"Neither are he and his brother," murmured America, "but they both do stupid stuff. You aren't an exception either, Altman."

"America Chavez, why are you putting me down, it's my birthday!" Teddy pouted, frantically changing the subject away from Billy. Worries were already building up in his brain. In his mind, he was pretty sure he scared Billy off.

She stuck out her tongue mimicking his childish tone, "It's not anymore; it's past midnight!"

"Oh stop, it you too!" Kate scolded, "I hate to see you two girls fight!"

The three of them laughed for a few seconds, when Tommy came out from the bathroom a few feet over. He shouted from the doorway, "Alright Bishop I just finished pissing, so it's time for me to take Billy and Chavez home!"

"He's driving, shitbag!" America hollered back, "You are not driving with the amount of alcohol swimming through your system because I don't want to die in the same area as you."

"Oh fuck you!" he laughed and swept over to give Kate a quick kiss.

Kate brushed his light hair away from his face. "Hey," she reprimanded, "Seriously though, we shouldn't technically be drinking anyway... I'm not letting you drive."

Teddy was not exactly sure whether or not Tommy was seriously planning on driving the two home. He was always a bit of a wild card when it came to sarcasm; you sometimes couldn't tell what Tommy meant seriously and what he didn't.

"Ay, chico," America nodded, "Go grab your brother, I'll get the car started." 

As quick as a lightning bolt, the boy threw his keys to America and went to retrieve his brother, leaving Kate and Teddy alone.

She smiled at him, her thin lips illuminated by the light coming from the bathroom. "You have a good party, yes?"

"Kate, of course I did!" Teddy smiled, adjusting the plates in his hand.

"And your leg is fine?"

"What do you mean?"

She blinked a few times and glanced downward, then returned eye contact to Teddy. "Billy told me about you flattening him down in the cellar," Kate giggled.

He rolled his eyes, "Oh my god, I told him it wasn't broken."

"It didn't seem so."

"What's his deal, anyway?" Teddy asked.

Kate blinked again. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he replied, throat closing. He realized his tone might have been a bit sharp before. "I mean, like... I don't know much about him. You two are really tight. I figured I should know more about the guy I accidentally steamrolled."

His friend pursed her lips for a moment. "I don't think there is much to him. He's really smart and cares a lot about how people feel. Sometimes TOO much. Kind of like you but he is a bit more... hmm..."

"Blunt?"

"Yeah!" gleamed Kate, "Billy likes to get to the point. You are much more careful to your approach."

"Is that a bad thing?" Teddy asked.

His friend shook her head, her face saying 'No way' She said, "Nah... but when you need the truth Billy is your guy. Personally, I think he thinks the best way to comfort someone is with the truth. I disagree."

"That's a better approach for educating someone, not comforting them," Teddy responded, thinking back to he and Teddy's earlier encounter.

Kate nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he comes off as a little pretentious then, but trust me, Billy's great."

"I didn't say he wasn't."

There was a quick pause. They heard the upstairs door creak shut, signifying Tommy, Billy, and America left.

"Why are you so wrapped up with Billy?" she pried.

Inside, Teddy's mind screamed "He's so fucking cute!" but he just said, "I told you, I figured I should know the guy I fell down the stairs with!" Teddy nearly dropped the cakes. He desperately wished he could tell Kate, but he wasn't even sure if thing was just a quick crush or not. Plus, considering the first time she had tried to hook up the two, in which she basically gave him Billy's number and told Teddy to text him, she tended to meddle. The first time, Teddy didn't even text Billy, which made Kate extremely angry. He didn't need a re-run of that, either.

She dismissed the thought and said, "Well, you better walk home. Be safe and give Momma Altman a hug for me!"


	4. Sweating Before the Gym

Teddy woke up with the sun shining brightly despite it being the cold days in March. By some miracle, he was hangover free, but instead of questioning why, he threw on his athletic shorts over his grey underwear and slipped on his white tank. He was going to freeze outside, but luckily he wouldn't be outside for long.

He grabbed his phone off the floor.

He sped down his wooden stairs, noticing the two pieces of cake on the kitchen table. He deduced from that that his mother was still not up, which was not surprising on the weekends.

Teddy pulled his blue gym bag from the hall closet, then he received a text from Tommy.

"Hey my bro is being a shitbag about the cake," Teddy read off the unlock screen. Then, a swift reply followed, reading "U werent bothered by it, right?"

Teddy rolled his eyes and clumsily texted with one thumb, "Billy takes things too seriously."

Despite the thought of Billy racing through his head, Teddy was beaming. With a light crinkle of the adjustment of the fabric, Teddy set the bag on the counter. Next to it, he saw his keys. For a moment, he attempted to remember what happened until just as his phone blipped again, When he decided to walk to Kate's, he threw his car keys onto the counter.

"Eh, but u two have a lot in common."

A cloud passed over the sun. Teddy frowned and replied, "Ugh, Kate said the same thing."

He continued getting ready for the gym. First he pulled out his protein shake from the bag then ambled over to the high cabinets over the stove. Teddy heard his phone as he pulled out the vanilla protein powder. Next, he swung upon the neigboring refridgerator to get some milk. The process repeated most days, but Teddy still enjoyed it.

Tommy replied back, "No man, for real. Like, you guys are fucking weebs and stuff."

"U watch more anime than me, I am not even head over heels for it," Teddy chuckled as he typed out.

His smile didn't waver; it was Saturday. Despite making fun of himself for acting childish, Teddy's favorite word was "weekend." He never wasted time during them, attempting to do something every moment through Saturday and Sunday. Of course, Teddy was preparing for his arm and chest day at the nearby gym, but even apart from the weekend, he found enjoyment in it.

Kate would sometimes say that Teddy cared more about his appearance than his emotional state. He would disagree. Teddy felt happy exercising and while he was aware he was quite muscular, he didn't ever feel like stopping. 

The phone made a noise again. This time, Tommy said, "But its cool when I do it."

Teddy poured the mix and milk into his special cup. In his mind, he remembered something else about Billy. sometimes, Teddy would see him there, on the treadmill and weight room. Perhaps it was Teddy's irritation with Tommy or maybe it was just the eagarness coming from Saturday, but a sudden rush of courage filled him up.

"Well, I am going to the gym if he wants to hang out since you seem so desparate for him and I to chill together," Teddy texted back, and instantly he thought of sex.

Not in the sense of fucking Billy. Or, not entirely. That text felt like the type of sex that one would do and instantly regret doing it. Teddy's face was blanched.

Plus, it was probably the worst way to get closer with Billy. Despite what the multitude of pornos Teddy had seen, the gym was not a sexy place, especially when you actually were exercising. Like all the other men there, Teddy was going to be sweaty, dirty, and exhausted. The gym felt suddenly less exciting. Vigorously, he shook up his protein shake, the speedy sloshing echoed throughout the kitchen.

Teddy wished that a reply never came but at that instant of poor timing, Tommy texted, "I asked him. He said to pick him up in twenty minutes. Also he mentioned it was his arm and chest day, if that's anything."

Teddy wished now for a gun to blow his own brains out with. His cheeks felt red-hot, burning a hole through his face. He suddenly wanted to watch a porno just to put a romanticized idea of the gym into the mind.

This boy is destroying me, Teddy laughed in his mind. He slung his bag over his shoulder, grabbed the shake in his right hand and his keys in his left.

His white pick-up truck looked frozen in Teddy's driveway. Goosebumps were instantly appearing on Teddy's legs as the brisk winter wind enveloped him. However, the heat from pure anguish still warmed his upper body up. Begrudgingly, he unlocked his car. The drive was about fifteen minutes to Tommy's, but it felt like hours too long.


End file.
